The path to Freedom
by Captain-Preset-Hawke
Summary: Back again with another Medieval AU! The inspiration for Bubbline is away on vacation atm so have some KarLena instead. GP!Kara Human!Kara Cat and Kara are friends with benefits, no real romance there.
1. The Last Daughter of Krypton

Princess Lena had been raised on a certain notion: she had been lucky. Everyone her age wished to be her, or at least in her place, when she was younger she took pride in the feeling; but now that she is older and a bit wiser, she realised that little else matters in the face of freedom.

You see, her parents, the Luthors, were unable to conceive after their first child: Alexander, or Lex, as he liked to be called. And since it had been a set standard that each Kingdom had had at least one son and one daughter, they had become desperate. Lionel turned to one of the many serving girls, young and beautiful, she could have been mistaken for nobility if it weren't for her hands, those that made it quite obvious she was a mere serving girl. The king had secretly had an affair with said girl, and roughly a year later, Lena was born. But, nobody else besides the King, Queen, and their son knew of the circumstances of Lena's birth. Lillian, the Queen, made sure to get rid of the "witness".

Lena looked down from the battlements, a guard , with his stance relaxed, stood far enough behind her so he would not disturb, but would also protect her if something were to go amiss. The Princess looked down at the neighboring villages, and watched as children played around, some couples sat together, holding hands and watching the sunset. _They_ were lucky, Lena thought. She would never get the chance to fall in love, be happy, because when one is forced to do something, it would only make them hate it more.

When Royals have children, they decide who they're to marry during their first year. Nobles being the arrogant fools they are, and despite the Luthor kingdom being at war with Kypton, the latter had followed in their footsteps and started mating those of Noble blood "accordingly", although they had been much more successful at it than the Luthors. Soon, all Kingdoms; knowing that both Krypton and the Luthors were superior to all of them, succumbed. Trying their hardest to give birth to the perfect warrior and diplomat, perfect body, perfect mind, one who would unite them and get rid of the Luthors once and for all. And though Kryptonians kept to themselves, they had powerful allies and better weapons than the Luthors would ever dream.

But all of that changed when her father decided to start a war, the Luthors also had their allies, and unlike Krypton, they did not care who or where their Knights came from, usually peasants trained their whole lives to become Knights in order to eagerly serve their King. That in itself resulted in Lena's kingdom outnumbering the Kryptonians, whom only knighted those of noble families.

And so the war started, and it had been a massacre, Lena's brother, Lex, was killed during the war and it left her father devastated. Heartbroken, the King directed his whole army towards Krypton, even leaving to go fight, himself, just to end up plunging his sword in the heart of Zor-El and his wife, the King and Queen of Krypton. Lionel made sure to destroy everything in the enemy Kingdom, he took their riches, and killed every single Kryptonian there was, causing the kingdoms that were allied with Krypton to cower in fear and pledge allegiance to him. And after he left the now broken down castle, he made sure to celebrate, songs and drinks and women all over his Kingdom to sing his name for a month long.

Lena did not know how to feel, yes, her father was back home with the promise of her protection, and not making the same mistake as he had done with Lex. But war was not a solution, killing was not. Lex had lead the war, he killed the prince of Krypton, Kal-El, only then did the Kingdom take action. And as far as the Princess knew, they did not have a daughter. The young Luthor was amazed at how her Father managed to eradicate a whole Kingdom, she knew their families were mortal enemies, but it had never come to such an end. But she realised that dwelling on it would only make her upset, and questioning it would make her _father_ upset, so she'd let it go, and leave it behind her.

Catherine was an owner of a good estate, she had wealth and a certain amount of power over most things that happened in the Kingdom of the Luthors, and so when she had heard of a peasant house being catching on fire and that only a younger girl had survived, she decided to take her in since she was...unable to conceive. She was very generous after all.

When the brown haired girl first started living with her, she never spoke, only nodded or shook her head, five years later and the girl still won't utter a word. But Catherine was fine with it, the girl was training to be a Knight, and was doing an even better job than most of the young men living in the village, Catherine was proud.

At first Catherine had tried to get the girl to speak, she tried all sorts of things, gifts, mild punishment, chores, scolding, all sorts of things..But she came to the conclusion that nothing would make the girl speak if it's not what the Gods wanted. And so, you could imagine her utter surprise when she heard a shrill scream come from her back yard. She surprised, surprised and terrified, because when she ran to see what was wrong with Alexandra, she saw a figure sprawled on the ground, it was raining, and the figure was covered in mud, so when they-No, when _she_ looked up and uttered a weak "help me" before collapsing face first into the ground again, the only action Catherine could take was asking Alexandra to help her move the stranger into their house. The blonde woman gasped when she took a look at the girl's armor, it had the crest of the house of El on it, the noble house that ruled Krypton. _But that's impossible_ she had thought, _they were gone, all dead._ But before she could question it more, she cleaned the dirt off the stranger and took her armor off carefully, before placing a healing potion next to the bedroll she made for her.

When Catherine woke the next morning, it was to more screaming, which she recognized again as Alexandra's, she got out of bed quickly, heading to what she believed to be the source of the scream, and saw that the stranger they had saved yesterday had Alexandra pinned to the wall, hands wrapped around her neck. Alexandra was putting up a good fight, but looking at this girl again Catherine knew it wouldn't last long, so she did the only sensible thing she could think of, she took the expensive artifact on the table next to her and broke it over the younger Blonde's head, knocking her out; then made sure to drag the stranger to her room and tie her to her bed, pulling out a wooden club in the process, with Alexandra holding her sword. And so they stood there, waiting for the mysterious stranger (and possible dangerous killer) to wake up.

Kara groaned, her head was killing her, almost literally, she could feel dampness in her hair, a sure sign of either water or blood, but by the pain she guessed it was definitely blood. She opened her eyes slowly, groaning again in the process, what she saw made her freeze, she looked down, taking in the rope that she was tied with. She did not have enough energy to break out AND defeat the women that were in front of her, she recognized the brown haired one holding the sword as the one she had attacked earlier, but the older Blonde she did not know.

Kara struggled with the rope before huffing and glaring at the two women eying her warily before snarling, "I warn you, I could kill you where you stand" she tried, but neither woman seemed to feel threatened, she growled, but before she could make another statement, the older blonde started: "I doubt that, my dear. Seeing your pathetic state currently. Now, would you kindly tell me why you have decided to attack my daughter, the person who had saved your life?" The woman glared, threat evident in her eyes. Kara blinked before she looked at the brunette, then back again at the older woman, the two women seemed to give her time to think, and she started remembering events that lead her here: spending almost the whole of 4 years burning the bodies of the Kryptonians the Luthors had killed, having to hide and kill with her bare hands to eat before she had gathered the strength to at least move a few stones off the destroyed castle grounds to look for ruined armor, tempering it with merely stone and her hands, rendering it only wearable enough. Thankfully her crest was not obvious, or she was sure that she would be dead by now, not that the state she was in was any better.

Everywhere she went, the Princess of Krypton heard stories about her Kingdom, horrible ones, desecrating the honorable name of the house of El, her brother, her mother and her father, their noble knights. Kryptonians were merely diplomats, and had only started taking up arms when the Luthors decided to strike, and so they strived to create the perfect Kryptonian, the perfect specimen, Kal-El had been deemed a success at first, before he showed how reckless and hard headed he was, too self-righteous, neither a diplomat nor a warrior, a certainly not worthy of the title of "Knight" but despite all of this, her and her parents had loved him. But when Kara was born, she was deemed a success, the perfect specimen, finally, after years of noble marriage, planning, sweat, blood and tears poured into their work, they had what they wanted, a leader. Neither a son nor a daughter, but both, she was only called Kara and deemed female when she started developing as one, but her strength was better than that of the mightiest warriors in the lands, and her speed was swifter than that of the most skilled archer in all of Krypton, and possible beyond. She had a good head on her shoulders, learning and training ever since she first started walking, and somehow her brother had never been neglected. The kingdom's nobles were finally free to marry whomever they desired, no chains to bind them anymore, they had created the perfect ruler, and she would bring salvation to the land.

Needless to say, the Luthors did not want that, they hid behind their son's death and used it as a reason to strike down Krypton, the kingdom was betrayed by their once truest ally, Daxam, their cowardice evident in their actions, and Kara's 5 years after the war were fueled by anger. She was hid in an underground dungeon by her parents, it was thanks to them that she survived, but at the cost of her whole kingdom dying. She promised herself that she would avenge her parents, and her kingdom, and then she will find a way to rebuild it. She ran from her Kingdom to the opposite side of the land in a mere 5 days, her incredible stamina supporting her until she reached the outskirts of a village close to the kingdom, where she literally collapsed and crawled the rest of the way on mud and rain, her muscles almost screaming.

Kara looked up at the two women again, "I apologize, my lady. I had forgotten what happened recently and my instinct was what I had relied on during that moment, would you find it in your heart to forgive me?" By now, the Blonde's state was gradually improving and if she wanted, she could rip the rope and flee, but she was at fault and she owed the two women her life.

Catherine, looked at Alexandra with wide eyes as she heard the brunette speak for the first since she had taken her in "I forgive you, but I demand to know who you are and where you come from." Alexandra replied, Catherine looked at the girl again before she added "We have seen the crest on your armor, where have you gotten that?"

Kara swallowed thickly, then ripped the rope, startling the two women, Alexandra gripped her sword tight and Kara slowly put her hands up, showing that she meant no harm. "Fear not, my lady, I was merely disoriented earlier, I would have never attacked a defenseless opponent otherwise. My name is Kara Zor-El, I'am the last living Kryptonian and I come to avenge the death of my people" She said in determination, watching as the two women's eyes widened.

"Well, I'm Catherine, this is Alexandra. And we might have a slight problem."


	2. From one Knight to another

"What treachery?!" Alexandra said through gritted teeth, pointing her sword at Kara, Catherine whispered for Alexandra to stand down.

"My dear, her whole Kingdom was destroyed by the Luthors, what would you expect? Her undying loyalty?" Catherine scoffed, Kara felt herself smile for the first time in years before she nodded slowly towards Catherine "You are indeed a wise woman, my lady."

Catherine stared at the Kryptonian, slightly baffled. She had heard rumors about nobles being mated according to their titles, physical and mental traits, but she had no idea there was a success, and in Krypton of all place. It was no coincidence that the last daughter of Krypton is the perfect specimen. At least, she thought she was, perfect blonde hair, perfect body, perfect face, perfect teeth, everything was perfect about the young Princess.

"Alexandra, try to be polite to our guest. I will go prepare some food." Catherine said before leaving the two girls alone in her room.

Alexandra scowled but eventually put her sword away, she still eyed Kara warily, but her stance was more relaxed now. Kara sat back on the floor again, only dressed in her slightly dirty tunic and trousers, the belt she usually sheathes her sword into, empty.

"You were quite defensive when I had mentioned revenge for my people, are you a knight to your 'king'"? Kara spat the last word, making sure to put as much venom as she felt every time she remembered the treacherous man.

Alexandra glared "Not yet, but I will be, and no harm will come to our king from you, Kryptonian" The brunette replied with equal fervor, seeing Kara's eyes flair up in anger. The Kryptonian stood suddenly, making Alexandra take a step back; "Don't you dare disrespect my kingdom, your 'king' has done enough already, and I'm taking my revenge, whether you like it or not." Kara wouldn't attempt to take down Alexandra, although she knew she could kill her, the brunette and her mother had saved her life, and she is nothing if not honorable.

Alexandra huffed, leaving the room and taking her sword with her. The blonde fell on the bed once the brunette was out of sight, and let out a long sigh. Soon, Catherine showed up and told her she had prepared a bath for her, Kara had never felt more grateful.

"She had always wanted to be a knight. She is quite strong too, and although you're younger, I can tell you are stronger her." Catherine remarked, Kara was currently wolfing down the food the woman had prepared, the older blonde found it endearing.

"I mean her no harm, and I do not blame her, there are worse crimes than loyalty to one's king." The kryptonian said between bites, when she finished, she looked up at Catherine, noting the woman's features for the first time.

Truly, she was older than her, but she was beautiful, she had a slim waist, a kind face, full lips and bright eyes and her hair practically sparkled in the sun. Very beautiful indeed, Kara had noted.

Catherine caught Kara staring at her with intense eyes, and she felt a rush of warmth spread through her body. She forced herself to look away, she would not be enamored by someone she had only met the day before.

The older woman cleared her throat, looking back to Kara again; "I wish to ask a favor of you, Kara." Catherine thought calling the last Kryptonian by her title to be too cruel for the girl, and so she opted for calling her by her name instead, she had plans for the Princess in mind.

"Anything you need, my lady. I owe a great debt." Kara replied, standing from where she was seated, she was wearing a new tunic and trousers, she absolutely refused to wear a dress. They weren't to her tastes and..let's just say it bothered her in a certain place.

"I ask of you to train my daughter." Kara's eyes widened slightly, before she schooled her features, noting that the other woman hadn't continued what she was trying to say; "She is a very skilled swordswoman, but I daresay she had been improvising all these years. I believe if you train her and teach her discipline, she would be quite grateful, and you would repay your debt this way, should you agree."

The Kryptonian considered the lady's offer, it was no burden, she had trained since she was a lot younger, and the woman in front of her had saved her life, with likely a promise of a place to hide directly under the king's nose, it was perfect.

"I accept, but I would be grateful if you made sure your daughter listened to me, and I would also be grateful should you not complain about my methods." Kara said, causing Catherine to smirk and stretch her hand towards Kara, reaching for a handshake. The Kryptonian looked down at the older woman's hand and was baffled as to what to do, but then she remembered the etiquette she had learned when she was younger. She took Catherine's hand and planted a soft kiss on the back of it. When she looked up at the woman, her cheeks were pink before she quickly retracted her hand and look away.

Well, this was interesting.

The very next morning, before sunrise, Kara woke up and rinsed her face before she took a bucketful of water and walked up the estate to Alexandra's room. The Kryptonian knocked gently, when no response came, she opened the door and walked in.

The brunette was sprawled on top of her bed, snoring, fast asleep. Kara smirked before she emptied the whole bucket on the sleeping girl's face, making her jolt awake, gasping for air.

" .fuck do you think you're doing, Kryptonian?!" Alexandra yelled through her coughing fit, Kara's smirk widened, before she replied, "Come on soldier, time for your training!"

Alexandra was exhausted, her muscles were burning, and even furrowing her brows hurt. Who the hell does this girl think she is?!

Alexandra had stayed up late, re-reading the letters she received from her beloved. Although they were apart, Alexandra made sure to remember Margaret, and she knew her beloved remembers her too. The girl would soon get the chance to visit on Friday, that was two days away, and she couldn't wait.

But of course, instead of resting during the day like she had decided the night before, she received a bucketful of water to the face, the Kryptonian claiming it was time for her "training".

Kara was still light on her feet, she hadn't even broken a sweat, and Alexandra was growing more and more frustrated. How could someone have such stamina?! And she hadn't even managed to land a single hit on the blonde, even though the brunette knew she was holding back.

2 torturous days of waking up before sunrise, and training until after sundown later, Alexandra was ready to meet her beloved. In her letter Margaret had mentioned she'd be at the estate by midday, but it was getting well into the evening and growing colder and there was no sight of her yet. Alexandra frowned, she was starting to worry, what if she were caught somewhere in the road, or some bandits kidnapped her?

"Something on your mind, soldier?" Kara said from behind her before she stood next to her, arms crossed behind her back. Alexandra's frown deepened "Stop calling me that, my name is Alexandra."

"Ah, but you want to be a Knight, yes? It is only right for me to call you a soldier while you are in training. Now, tell me, what is on your mind?" Kara asked again, Alexandra sighed, closing her eyes before opening them again; "My friend, she said she would be here by midday, but it's well into the evening already and she hasn't arrived, I fear for her safety."

Kara hummed before looking around, she saw a stable close by; "Do you own any horses?"

"No, why?" All Alexandra seemed to be doing today was frowning, she noticed Kara's line of sight and put her hands up; "No, no! Mother would kill me! Are you insane?!" she yelled, exasperated; "Margaret can handle herself, I trust in her." Alexandra was going back into the estate when they both heard Catherine calling them to dinner.

When Kara was sure the brunette was inside, she ran towards the stable, untying one of the horses, it was a milky white horse, simply beautiful, and calmed it before she climbed the saddle and sat, going in the opposite direction of the estate, and the only way to reach it.

Kara was a bit disappointed she couldn't bring a sword with her, but going into the estate would've stopped her from reaching her goal, which is taking the horse and looking for Alexandra's 'friend' as she had called her. Kara rolled her eyes, that girl was an open book.

* * *

Almost an hour into her journey, Kara heard a few whimpers coming from the forest that surrounded her, and if she hadn't been trained to listen intently when she was younger, she would've missed it.

The Kryptonian gripped the reins tightly and kicked the horse's sides, making it run faster and towards the source of the whimpers. When Kara was close enough, she climbed down from the horse and tied it loosely to a tree nearby.

The blonde looked around, moving closer to the figure crouched on the floor next to another tree, it was a forest after all. But before Kara could take a good look at them, five men swooped down from the trees, surrounding Kara.

The Kryptonian raised her arms in defense, the figure close behind her, beckoning the men to attack.


	3. Interrupted

To say Kara was disappointed would be an understatement, five dead bandits later and she suffered not even a scratch, and she was _unarmed_! Damned weaklings.

When Kara was done laughing at the pathetic pile of low lives at her feet, she turned back around and took cautious steps towards the figure and examined them- No, examined _her_. The girl was curled up, unconscious, the Kryptonian deduced that might've happened some time during the brief fight.

With what Alexandra had said at the back of her mind, the blonde reached for the girl and cradled her into her arms, fearing for her safety. She was cautious to untie the horse without rousing the stranger, who could very well be the object of Alexandra's affections. She climbed the saddle while the girl with the girl on her shoulder, adjusting anew once she was comfortable and gently holding the girl her front with one arm while her free hand grasped the reins.

It took the blonde another hour and half to go back to the estate thanks to the new passenger, but she did not mind. That could not be said, however, about the woman who stood by the door of the estate, scowling.

"I bring gifts!" Kara shouted sarcastically, now that she had noted the injury on the girl's head, she realised all her cautiousness had been for naught, and that the dark-haired woman would not be waking up any time before the morning.

The brunette's scowl melted into panic at the sight of the girl in Kara's arms, she ran towards the horse, reaching for Margaret. Kara gave up the woman gently into Alexandra's arms, and climbed down from her mount, guiding it back to the stables.

Alex shouted for her mother, Kara could hear fast approaching steps towards them and she'd decided to help them with the girl.

"What?! Alexandra, what is it?!" The woman's tone bore only concern, instead of irritation. The older blonde knew that her daughter was usually much more composed, and that it took a crisis for her to be in such a state of panic.

But then Catherine saw the woman in Alexandra's arms and she gasped. The brunette was struggling to keep upright now, it seemed that even after all her training, she could not support another body for too long, but Kara didn't blame her.

The Kryptonian approached Alexandra and casually took Margaret from her arms, with ease that made Alexandra's blood boil for a moment before she had to calm herself.

"Take her to my bed, Kara, we need to find a physician." Catherine urged, but Kara, seeing as it was well into the night knew that that would not be possible, they would have to wait until the morning, but they could not leave the poor girl in such condition.

"No, I'll see what I can do. She isn't badly injured, I believe the bandits delivered only a blow to her head, perhaps a kick to the ribs at most." Kara knew that bandits were more to attack caravans than lone villagers, and so when somehow the girl ended up at their mercy, they decided to use her to lure some poor fool who would be gutted and looted within the hour.

Luckily, though, Kara was no fool.

She headed towards the room she occupied only a few days prior, and put the woman gently on the bed, both women standing behind her.

When Kara moved to remove the dress the black haired woman wore, Alexandra scowled and slapped her hand away, Kara kept her calm.

"So, this is your beloved? What's her name?" Kara chuckled, knowing the situation not to be too serious, but Alexandra scowled before she gritted a response, "Margaret."

"Alright, Alexandra, let me do what I can to help her, that involves taking off her clothes to find injuries." Kara grew intense for a moment before she relaxed with a nod from the brunette.

"Let's start then."

* * *

After Kara checked the girl's body for injuries and finding none except for the blow on her head, she cleaned the wound and put a balm on it to soothe the skin and prevent irritation. The blonde took the black haired girl up to Alexandra's bedroom per her request and laid her gently on the brunette's bed. Despite the knight-to-be's concern, her eyes showed gratefulness and Kara nodded as she closed the door to the girl's room, heading back to the kitchens for something to eat.

"Even though my daughter told you it would anger me, you took, no, _stole_ a horse and went on your way. No warning, nothing." Kara almost startled at Catherine's voice. _Almost._

Instead the Kryptonian, who was reaching for an apple in the kitchens, drew her hand back and turned to face the woman. Kara smirked, advancing towards the other woman and effectively trapping her between the wall and herself. Catherine swallowed thickly as the lights reflected off the Kryptonian, illuminating her hair and eyes. The blue in her eyes was a brilliant shade, and Catherine found herself entranced.

Kara's eyes took on an intense look, her pupils dilated as she looked down at the smaller woman. Her body practically screamed desire, but Kara gave Catherine chance to pull away if she wanted, as she leaned closer.

Catherine however, closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly in anticipation. Her blood was running hot, and she could feel Kara's hot breath on her lips mere seconds before they met in a slow but passionate kiss.

Kara's hands immediately went to Catherine's hips as she felt the other woman slightly sway, and Catherine's arms wrapped around the Kryptonian's broad shoulders. The younger blonde slightly bent her knees and tilted her head as she now hugged the older woman's waist. Their kiss was deepening by the second, Catherine nibbled on Kara's lower lip softly and the Knight groaned.

The older blonde was feeling light-headed, the two women took breaks that were no more than 5 seconds before they joined their lips again, hands exploring each other's bodies. Kara's hands wandered up Catherine's sides, then to her hips, before settling back at the woman's waist. Catherine's hands wandered down the Kryptonian's arms, squeezing the toned muscles and moaning in delight, the sound swallowed by Kara's mouth.

Catherine reached for the hem of Kara's tunic, without breaking the kiss, and tugged on it. The warrior understood, and broke free from the woman's grasp to life it above her head, exposing a toned stomach, with a few scars here and there, but that only fueled Catherine's desire for the Kryptonian.

Kara lifted Catherine by her thighs, exposing them, the latter wrapping her legs around Kara's middle, and they started kissing again, more fiercely this time around. The younger blonde started ripping the older woman's dress when they both broke apart at the noise of glass shattering.

Right there, stood in the middle of the kitchens, was Alexandra, wide eyed like a deer that's about to make its escape before the hunter decided to release the arrow on it.

Kara was panting, Catherine was held against her chest so she wasn't entirely exposed. But the older blonde was frozen, she didn't even move to cover her thighs, and Alexandra's face drained of all color before she turned around and positively sprinted out of the room.

Catherine huffed, seemingly snapping out of her trance. She separated herself from Kara, handing her the tunic that was discarded on the floor. Her face was flushed, she looked like she was about to spontaneously combust, and Kara was too shocked to come with a witty response.

"We might have a slight problem." Catherine repeated.


	4. Sisterly Bonds

Kara watched as Catherine made her way up the stairs towards Alexandra's room, wearing her tunic before following the older woman.

The moment Kara set her foot on the top of the stairwell, a fist covered in silver connected with the left side of her face, she felt the familiar burn of a wound above her left eye seconds before she stumbled back and fell down the stairs she climbed only moments before.

The Kryptonian grumbled slightly, letting out a groan when her body protested against her standing up, but she'd done so anyway, albeit shakily. Kara looked up to find a furious Alexandra, right fist (which was covered in a gauntlet) curled and dripping crimson, and a shocked Catherine, gaping, with her hand on her mouth and green eyes wide.

"We offer you shelter, safety, nourishment, and the first thing you think of doing to repay us is _fuck_ my _mother?!_ " Alexandra demanded, expecting the cocky _guest_ to retort sarcastically.

What she did not expect, however, was to find Kara in her personal space after blinking, face contorted in rage. The Kryptonian had blood dripping down her forehead, a diagonal cut that looked to be somewhat deep making its appearance above her left eye and through her eyebrow then ending on her cheek. Kara's eye was starting to swell, and Alexandra wouldn't be surprised if the Kryptonian would lose sight in it for good.

The brunette would die before admitting it but...She was frightened. And she likely _will_ die before admitting it because Kara was advancing, and Catherine stood to the side, frozen, too shocked to act.

Before Alexandra could think of something to do, Kara's fist connected with her side, almost causing her to fly into the opposite wall, but the brunette resisted and only fell back, wheezing, now at a disadvantage as Kara loomed above her. The Knight-to-be crossed her arms in front of her face as Kara dropped to her knees, landing blow after blow that felt like they would shatter Alexandra's bones.

Kara's blood was dripping down her face onto Alexandra's now, and the brunette uncrossed her arms to bring her gauntleted first up, but the Kryptonian was expecting it, and expertly dodged, grabbing Alexandra's hand in a firm grip that almost hurt despite the protection she'd worn.

The princess raised her right fist, about to bring it down on Alexandra in what the brunette deduced to be the final blow before she'd end up unconscious, she was preparing herself when a voice interrupted them, causing them both to freeze;

" _Stop,_ " Margaret shouted, standing from in front of the door of the room she'd been sleeping in only moments before.

"Can't you see you're hurting her?! Stop!" Alexandra rolled from under Kara, seeing she was distracted, and ran towards Margaret.

"Are you alright? You aren't supposed to be awake, go lay down, here, let me help you-" Alexandra started before Margaret cut her off with a bone-crushing hug.

"Am _I_ alright?! Are _you_ alright?! You're not breathing properly!" The shorter woman stroked the taller one's face, fussing over her, before her gaze moved towards Kara, who was still on the floor, now bringing a hand up to touch her bloodied face.

"Who's this? Why were you two fighting?" Margaret asked cautiously. Alexandra scowled before answering;

"She's an enemy of this Kingdom, yet we took her in, and she's been nothing but a nuisance ever since. And if that were not enough, I caught her with mother in the kitchens! Doing- Being..inappropriate." The brunette finished lamely as she felt her face heat up.

Margaret looked fondly at her lover, "And you were defending your mother's honor? Dear, I would think your mother could make her own decisions, wouldn't you?" She said and watched as realisation dawned on Alexandra's face.

"Oh God, I could've killed her.." She looked at Kara then at the stairs, truly, nobody could have survived that and if they have, it would take weeks to heal. Yet, here was Kara, who almost paid Alexandra back for what she'd done, one of her ribs had to be broken!

"Don't flatter yourself, it's barely a scratch." Kara said sarcastically, back to her old self after such a short time.

"Let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" Margaret whispered to Alexandra, leading her down the stairs.

"That's going to scar." Catherine said as she cleaned Kara's wound, her eye was not swollen shut anymore, yet it was still bruised.

"How come your eye healed so quickly?" Catherine asked when Kara hadn't made a comment on the scar, and was only rewarded by a smirk.

"I've never really thought about it, scars remain but I heal quickly without having to use any kind of herbs." Kara shrugged.

"I apologize for this, it's just been me and Alexandra for a very long time now, and she has a hard time trusting people." Catherine said apologetically, and Kara softened;

"I gathered. It's alright, her only desire is for you to be safe." Catherine looked into Kara's eyes for a moment before sighing and planting a soft kiss on the younger woman's lips. When she pulled back, Kara's eyes were still closed, before they slowly opened as the younger blonde smiled.

"I think I'm going to go into the village and search for something to do during the day. It will make for a decent distraction." Kara said, standing up and heading towards the door of the estate.

* * *

It turns out looking for an occupation wasn't hard. Any place Kara walked into, all eyes were on her. She was no fool, she knew she was handsome, and had the physique to match it.

But between being a tavern wench and a blacksmith apprentice, it was blatant which one she'd choose.

Winslow seemed like a good, smart young man, if he were to get over his awe for the taller woman. But once Kara put him in his place, he looked like he'd make a good friend to her.

The Kryptonian spent her days working the village's local forge, nights frolicking about with Catherine, and early mornings training Alexandra after they both got over their pride and Alexandra had apologized, even though Kara had a new scar to remind her of the incident.

Kara found herself to be quite popular in the village, where both young men and women stood by the forge to watch her work, her face and hair both covered in soot. She did not mind the attention she was receiving, yet she'd done nothing to prolong it were there something else to occupy the villagers.

One evening, after a hard day's work of making a sword for Alexandra for her upcoming birthday, she'd overheard some gossip that a tournament was to be held to select a new knight for the royal family. Apparently, one of their good knights had deserted the Kingdom and left the rank open.

Kara would take the news to Alexandra, and then they'd make a plan, this was her chance for revenge.

Kara opened the door to the estate, and was greeted by darkness and silence. Usually, Margaret and Alexandra would be as loud as can be.

The Kryptonian narrowed her when she heard footsteps approaching her, she quietly unsheathed the sword she'd decided to bring home and hide, and prepared herself.

However, the blonde was not met by a sword to the throat or a dagger to the abdomen, instead, she felt familiar arms wrap around her neck and small yet shapely legs wrap around her middle, she quickly dropped her sword in favor of holding the woman against her.

Catherine kissed the princess eagerly, the other's lips tasting like ash and fire, but she did not mind. Kara broke the kiss, yet her hands were wandering all over the older woman's body; "Alexandra..?" Kara asked a little breathlessly as Catherine kissed along her jaw and neck.

"Gone, she's at the tavern with her beloved" Catherine said as she nibbled on Kara's earlobe, and Kara was not in need of any more words as she tightened her grip on the older woman and headed towards her bedroom.

Kara threw Catherine down on the bed, not too roughly but not particularly gently either, she slowly climbed on top of the older woman, supporting her own weight with her hands on either side of the slim body under her.

Catherine pulled Kara for one more passionate kiss before she set to discard both her clothes and Kara's. First comes off Kara's tunic, then Catherine's dress, then Kara's trousers, and finally the undergarments. The Kryptonian was losing her patience, she ripped off her undergarments then Catherine's, going lower to steal another breath-taking kiss from the older woman's lips.

Their hands wandered over each other's bodies for several minutes before Catherine lowered her hand between them and gripping Kara's member, stroking languidly. The younger woman groaned, and the woman under her could feel how excited she was, Catherine directed Kara's member towards her entrance.

Kara buried her head in the older woman's hair, sometimes going lower to nibble on her neck as she slowly entered the petite woman. Kara groaned when she was fully sheathed inside Catherine, and the woman in question kept releasing breathless whines despite being the one who's experienced between the two.

The younger blonde pulled back her hips slowly, until the head was back at the entrance, and then just as slowly she sunk in again, the warmth of Catherine's velvety depths engulfing her, and making her head spin.

Kara kept up the agonizingly slow pace, and Catherine was starting to protest, she started moving her hips accordingly, until the younger blonde understood the message and moved her hips faster. Catherine buried her nails in Kara's shoulders, clawing down her back then back up, when Kara kissed her, she bit the other's lip, causing a groan to erupt from the back of her throat and her hips to lose their rhythm for a second.

It wasn't long before Kara's movements were frantic and desperate, her back and arms were a mess thanks to Catherine's nails, and both women had their eyes closed as they kissed lazily, their orgasm washing over them in a wave that took them by surprise, any noise they made swallowed by the other's mouth.

Kara lay on the bed, Catherine glued to her side, covered by a simple layer of exotic furs which Catherine had bought some time during her journey of discovering herself.

"That was..pleasant." Catherine remarked, a slight smirk on her lips as she looked up at Kara.

"I think I'll be needing a physician for my back." Kara said distractedly, but smiled when she felt the older woman smack her arm before lowering her hand to the toned muscles on her abdomen and lightly running her nails on them.

"Once more?" Catherine asked.

"Once more." Kara said as she locked lips with the older woman.

* * *

Alexandra woke with a start. She thought she'd been imagining things when the knocking started again, she sat up groggily, albeit still making sure she did not wake Margaret and headed for the door.

"Good morning." Kara said seriously, almost formally.

"I've come to give you this," She presented a sword, "And news of a tournament for a rank in the royal family's band of Knights." Kara finished.

Alexandra's eyes widened at the sight of the sword, she quickly took it from the Blonde's hands and unsheathed it, examining how it was made.

The sword was relatively simple, except it seemed to have been made out of some kind of bone mixed with silver, perhaps? The grip was comfortable in the brunette's hand, and the sword wasn't heavy at all, despite looking like it could cut about anything in its way.

Alexandra looked up from the sword to find Kara smiling softly at her, she returned the smile. Despite what they'd been through before, they grew closer and had a sisterly relationship.

Alexandra chose to ignore the fact her 'sister' was sleeping with her mother. That would just complicate things further.

Despite Alexandra's initial protest about Kara's place of origin, and her plan to exact revenge, she understood once she found out the fire that killed her family was of the king's doing.

"This 'tournament' probably does not even deserve to be called such. It's a one day long match that some over-confident villagers participate in for a chance to live in more luxurious surroundings." Alexandra said, sheathing the sword again before turning back to Kara.

"Alright, well that gives us an advantage. You will enter this 'tournament' and be a Knight, but how will _I_ make my move when there is only one empty rank?" Kara demanded, Alexandra was now out of her room with the door closed, afraid that if they end up talking loudly it would wake up the woman sleeping on her bed.

"I know how." Alexandra almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice behind her. That voice belonged to Margaret.

"I know how you can both become one of the closest people to the royal family." Margaret said again, and before Alexandra could protest, Kara took a step forward.

"How, then?" The blonde asked.

"King Lionel only cares about power. If he sees that in you, he will probably suggest a match against his best Knights and if you win, you will guarantee a place next to him." Margaret answered, smirking.

"How do you know any of this? You don't even live here." Alexandra crossed her arms and demanded of her lover, which earned her a shrug.

"My village is still Luthor Kingdom territory, and I'm good at hearing things I'm not supposed to hear." Margaret said with a tilt of her head and another smirk.

"Seems we have our plan." Alexandra said.

"To work?" Kara smirked.


	5. Possibility

The day of the tournament arrives, and Kara has forged new gauntlets with the fingers extending into slight claws, a new ebony shield, and a simple silver sword.

The Kryptonian's armor was something Alexandra had offered. It had the symbol of a wolf on the chest, as did Alexandra's own armor.

Once the sisters had donned their armor and helmets, they strapped their swords to their waists and set for the castle, which was a three hour long journey on horseback away from the estate.

As soon as they reached the castle, they noticed the commotion outside. Kara dismounted her horse and was soon followed by Alexandra, they walked towards a man with a parchment and a quill and gave their names, luckily they didn't need to give any evidence of their nobility seeing as most of the participants were farmers as Alexandra had said.

When Kara had walked into the Arena, she was stunned. She had expected it to be smaller, like the one they used to have in her kingdom. But Kryptonians were always more diplomats and thinkers than warriors, the Arena only used to train soldiers and guards, not for mild entertainment.

The girls stood side by side in the Arena with about 50 other participants, Kara had looked at the entrance they came in through and had found it closed, which meant the 'tournament' was about to start and that no one would be able to interrupt, whether it be by entering..or leaving.

Horns sounded as an old man clad in fancy furs and leather came in, followed by a woman in a dress that looked to be a bit too tight on her. The man, bald with pale skin, was bound to be the King, Lionel. And the woman who had followed him the Queen, Lillian. She sat to the King's left as a younger lady joined them and sat to Lionel's right.

 _And that must be the princess._ Mused Kara. The throne to Lillian's left was empty, where their son surely used to sit.

Kara allowed herself a smirk for the small victory. Despite her home being gone, she knew that the prince's death had left a mark on the royal family, and in turn, the whole kingdom.

"Brave souls! You are gathered here today for a noble cause, to serve your King and Queen, and the Princess Lena, as one of their loyal nine Knights. Do not disappoint, and may the best warrior win!" The King finished his rather short speech, and the crowd erupted into cheers, signaling the beginning of the fight.

Kara turned to the nearest combatant and plunged her sword in their chest, without looking back, she headed towards another opponent and sliced their head clean off.

Kara had killed 5 combatants before she noticed Alexandra's form being surrounded by a group of them, she ran towards her sister and killed two before hurrying to the brunette and gluing their backs together, facing off the group.

After they had killed the group, a foolish man tried to take Kara by surprised before she grabbed him by the throat mid-air and crushed his wind-pipe, it making a sickening crunch and bathing the Kryptonian in her opponent's blood. Thanking Rao for the idea of gauntlets with claws, she headed towards her next target.

It wasn't until Sundown that the battle was over. The Arena had turned into a blood-bath and only Alexandra and Kara were left standing, now both panting with their helmets off. Kara's upper lip was bleeding and a diagonal cut extending from it up her cheek was visible, although not too deep.

Alexandra had mild cuts all over her face, but they would probably not scar, unlike Kara's, since the blonde had saved her hide countless times.

"Why have you stopped? Only one must remain, those are the rules, and it's an order!" The King looked down at them. It made Kara's stomach churn, and she sneered as she threw her sword to the ground.

"You dare defy me?!" The King shouted again, Lillian was smirking subtly next to him, Lena secretly admiring the foolishness, yet bravery of this stranger.

Lionel, despite putting up a fuss, was impressed with the blonde's skill, and it seemed the brunette was important to her, so he was willing to hear their reasoning.

"We both wish to serve as your Knights, majesty. We mean you no disrespect, but I will never fight my sister." Kara said diplomatically, and Lionel seemed to consider it, from his silence.

"Very well! On one condition, only one may join my band of knights with no further trial, the other must prove herself to be worthy of such honorary title!" The King spoke, and Kara felt herself smirking. Perhaps her people were more diplomats than warriors, but she was the perfect specimen, and her blood thirst sometimes made itself known.

As Margaret had predicted, Lionel suggested combat against his knights, and the request was met with indifference from Kara.

Which is why, now, the Arena having been cleaned of the corpses -but not the blood- was lit only by the fires around it, and Kara was unsheathing her sword to start the fight.

The King's orders were that she win this fight and she would join his band of Knights, and she would do just that, easily.

Kara dodged another strike from a bearded Knight, striking his back as he ran forward. The Kryptonian kept dancing around the eight Knights as if she hadn't fought a day long battle against about fifty other participants, she struck another Knight that aimed for her throat, and when she looked around, she saw that the Knights she was up against surrounded her in a circle, all of them on the floor.

The audience quieted in anticipation of the blonde's next move, and her heavy footsteps could be heard around the arena, everyone held their breath.

Kara was more redhead than blonde now thanks to the blood she was covered in, and as she grabbed one of the knights' hair, she pointed her sword to his throat and was about to slice through it when-

"STOP!" The King's voiced boomed across the arena, startling everyone there, except for Kara.

"Do not kill him! You have shown your valor, and as an exception, you shall be allowed to be the tenth Knight." The King seemed to relax as Kara lowered her sword. Murmurs broke out around the arena and everyone was confused; the number of knights has remained the same for over a century, before they were nine, they were eight, until Lionel's great great-great-grandfather changed that. And now it seems Lionel took it upon himself to do the same.

* * *

Ten knights they were now. Usually the Knights would undergo special training, but Kara proved herself more than worthy, and so she joined them, becoming part of the Luthor Kingdom officially as she knelt in front of the King and said her oath between clenched teeth.

"You called for me, my lady?" Kara asked as she bowed before Lillian, the older woman wearing the usual smirk she wore around Kara.

"Yes, indeed, I have. Would you be so kind to escort my daughter on her walk around the forest?"

"It would do me great honor, my lady." Kara straightened before heading to the courtyard where she knew her and Lena's horses were to be prepared.

She opened the gates and made her way down the stair to a white mare she'd claimed as her own about a month prior, Lena riding an almost similar one to her right.

Apparently, though, Lena hadn't been expecting any company, because once she saw Kara her eyes widened comically and she all but shouted "What is the meaning of this?!"

"The Queen has asked me to accompany you on your journey, for your..protection." Kara said smoothly, masking her smirk professionally. She made a habit of getting a rise out of the princess.

"I could handle myself just fine, thank you very much, there is no need for you to go anywhere." Lena gritted her teeth, and Kara failed to mask her amusement now.

"Very well, my lady, as you wish." Kara made a show of dismounting her horse, and the look of surprise on Lena's face made the situation all the better.

The brunette cleared her throat before addressing Kara one last time, "I'm glad you know your place." She nodded once, before kicking her horse's sides and setting off, Kara choosing to follow the stubborn princess on foot to be more quiet.

Saying that Lena had been surprised that Kara followed her order would be an understatement. Nobody would dare disobey a direct order from neither the King nor the Queen, even more so if the Princess were the subject of that order.

She quickly stopped next to a river and a tree, tying her horse loosely to the latter and drinking some of the running water before situating herself under the shade.

Lena heard a rustling to her left where a bush was, but decided it could be a rabbit or any other animal and so she stayed her place. More rustling, and in the blink of an eye, the princess was surrounded by no less than five thugs who shared sly smirks that made Lena's skin crawl.

But the first one hadn't even made one step towards her, before the hand he had outstretched was cut off. Lena whipped her head around, only to see long blonde hair and a familiar face. A face she never thought she'd be this glad to ever see in her life.

The Knight did a quick work of the bandits, impressing Lena yet again with her skill. Kara turned to the princess and laughed "What's with this land and bandits?"

Lena found herself laughing along with the blonde fool, Kara helped her to her feet and they were off again, back to the castle.

* * *

"I was told you had saved the life of my daughter today, many thanks, Knight. And you will be rewarded accordingly." The King, who had surprisingly warmed up to her, said with a smile.

But, unlike the King, Kara was still holding a grudge against the man. And yet she bowed her head and expressed her thanks, she turned around to leave the throne room before she was stopped again, by the Queen this time.

"If you please, Knight. I wish to ask a favor of you." Lillian had asked of Kara, and Kara, seeing that Lillian wasn't on her list of people to murder, listened sincerely this time.

"What is you require, my lady? I'm happy to serve." Kara smiled, and Lillian smiled back.

"I wish for you to be my daughter's permanent bodyguard. You have showed your loyalty time and time again, and you have managed to show your courage and power, and I would see to it that my daughter has the best in the Kingdom. Which is..you." Lillian spoke slowly, with the grace of her position in the court, and allowed time for Kara to contemplate. But unlike what everyone thought, that truly was Kara's choice. Whether to accept or refuse, and no ill will was brought into the matter.

Kara took a deep breath, before she looked into the Queen's eyes,

"I accept."

"I thank you for saving my life, but this is ridiculous!"

"With all due respect, my lady. But you are the princess, and this land is dangerous and full of people who are out for your blood, or anyone's really," Kara talked as Lena watched her. The brunette found Kara's way of talking strange, despite her voice echoing smoothly, reaching its target towards whomever she was talking to, the Knight barely moved her lips. Well, she did, but it wasn't the kind you'd witness from someone who was easily excitable, which also led Lena to think about how professional the female Knight was. It was both endearing and annoying, considering the Princess wanted nothing more than to be close to the blonde, despite their usual bickering and her "refusal" for a bodyguard.

Lena realised after a few moments that she hadn't heard a word of what Kara said after her first sentence, too distracted by the Knight's lips.

The Princess had the decency to blush before she moved her eyes back to look the other woman in the eyes. And she was smirking! _That_ -!

"Well, my lady. If we're done for the night, I'd like to retire to my chambers." Which were now, naturally, across from Lena's.

The Princess groaned internally, but nodded at the Knight and bid her goodnight, not wishing to prolong the other's smugness.

Well, at least now she could lure the young Knight into her chambers one late night and just- No! No! No thoughts like that.

But that seemed like a _very_ promising idea.


End file.
